Great Plains Health earns another ‘A’ rating from the Leapfrog Group
Contact: Mary Roberts
North Platte, Neb., May 10, 2022 – Great Plains Health receives an ‘A’ rating from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2022. This national distinction recognizes Great Plains Health’s achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital.
“This is the sixth consecutive term that Great Plains Health has earned an ‘A’ rating. It’s simply outstanding,” Barb Petersen, chief quality officer of Great Plains Health, says. “We are consistent in our practices to put patient safety first and we are dedicated to providing the finest experience. The care we provide in North Platte stands with the best."
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade to general hospitals across the country based on over thirty national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.
“On a daily basis, we assess our practices to ensure patient safety,” Ivan Mitchell, CEO of Great Plains Health, says. “We are thorough, innovative and reaching for the best every day. This rating demonstrates our staff’s commitment to making Great Plains Health a beacon for trusted healthcare in the region.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
“As our health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of Great Plains Health for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group, says. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is an outstanding achievement, and one that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. This community should be proud.”
To see full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
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About Great Plains Health
Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Great Plains Health is a fully accredited, 116-bed acute-care regional medical center serving western and central Nebraska, northern Kansas and southern South Dakota. With 90 physicians representing nearly 30 medical specialties, the Great Plains Health system offers advanced health care, including heart and vascular, cancer, and orthopedic surgery services. Great Plains Health is a Level III trauma center, and all of its emergency department physicians are residency-trained and board-certified in emergency medicine. The system employs approximately 1,200 employees and serves a geographic area spanning approximately 16,000 square miles. The hospital is accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and is home to an American College of Surgeons-accredited cancer center and Level II bariatric surgery program. For more information, visit gphealth.org.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.